Gynecomastia in men is the enlargement of the breast due to fat accumulation. The treatment of gynecomastia in men has witnessed great development in Turkey, especially gynecomastia surgery, which is performed by the most skilled doctors.
Gynecomastia in men is an important problem for them, as the shape of the chest after the enlargement of the breast gland and its increase in size makes it similar to the breasts in women, which is embarrassing and may cause psychological problems in most men, and affects their lives, especially in adulthood. The presence of a defect in Their estrogen and testosterone disturbs the balance of hormones in the body.
Gynecomastia in men carries with it the risk of turning benign enlargement of breast tissue into a malignant mass. Disturbed body hormones can also affect men’s reproductive health. What are the causes of gynecomastia in men? How to get rid of gynecomastia in men? Does gynecomastia in men cause infertility? What is the meaning of gynecomastia? Get to know us in this article.
What is Gynecomastia?
Gynecomastia in men is a fairly common condition, which is an increase in the amount of fat tissue in the breast in men. It may be present at all ages, but it is common in teenage males who are undergoing hormonal changes in the body and in elderly men (breast enlargement can be found in boys or newborns). Also).
Breast tissue can also grow unevenly on one side than the other, so the patient has enlargement and an abnormal shape of the chest, or in most cases, the enlargement is equal on both sides.
Gynecomastia is the most common breast disorder in men, affecting between 50 and 65% of men and women worldwide.
Gynecomastia in men usually results from an imbalance between the levels of the male hormone (testosterone) and estrogen, with an increase in estrogen and a decrease in testosterone. The cause of this hormonal imbalance is unknown, but it could be the result of many other factors, such as the side effects of some medications, diseases, and even foods.
Enlarged breast tissue in men is usually a benign condition. Several treatment methods are available for this problem, whether surgical or non-surgical. Excess fat in the patient’s breast tissue is removed using various modern methods. The latest treatments have included either surgery (liposuction or removal of excess fatty tissue in the breast) or medications to treat gynecomastia, as the effectiveness and success rate of treatment in Turkey have recently increased significantly.
Gynecomastia in men causes
The causes of gynecomastia in men may not be completely known, but we can say that some factors contribute to the abnormal growth of mammary gland tissue, including:
- Taking some medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics (haloperidol), and anti-inflammatory medications, in addition to medications to treat prostate cancer.
- Breast enlargement in men may be a complication of the use of illegal drugs such as heroin and marijuana.
- Alcoholic and constantly drinking alcohol.
- Liver problems such as liver cancer and cirrhosis.
- Gynecomastia may result from other serious diseases in the body, such as lung cancer and some heart and kidney diseases, in addition to testicular cancer and prostate cancer.
- Obesity sometimes affects the sebaceous glands and increases the size of the pseudogynecomastia in men (or what is called “pseudogynecomastia” seen in overweight patients).
- An imbalance in the thyroid gland and its hormones.
- Tumors in the endocrine glands that secrete sex or metabolic hormones.
- Some congenital problems (congenital problems such as Klinefelter syndrome).
- Breast cancer, although rare in men, is a high-risk condition and requires the doctor to conduct many tests to rule out malignancy in those who are candidates for it.
It should be noted that heavy-weight lifters who use androgens to increase their muscle mass are at serious risk for changes in the levels of testosterone and estrogen and an increase in the size of their breasts.
Gynecomastia in men symptoms
It may manifest as an enlargement of the glandular fatty tissue below the nipple in one or both breasts. This enlargement may be severe and increase asymmetrically over time.
Sagging and enlarged breasts in men are conditions that cause a man to suffer from psychological problems and an embarrassing appearance.
The occurrence of breast pain or discharge from the nipple, known as “nipple oozing,” increases the severity of the condition and requires urgent consultation with a doctor.
The man may notice other accompanying symptoms that are related to the condition causing this breast enlargement (acromegaly).
The symptoms of gynecomastia in men also differ from the symptoms of breast cancer in men, which is usually on one side only and not always around the nipple and has a hard and hard texture.
The most important methods for diagnosing gynecomastia in men
The steps for diagnosing gynecomastia in men generally require the doctor to take a complete clinical history of the patient. This helps in knowing whether the patient has a family history of breast cancer or not and knowing its causes so that he can treat it with the best methods available.
The doctor begins by conducting blood tests that show liver function and hormone levels in the body. He also conducts a urine test for the patient, in addition to additional investigations to rule out cancer, such as a mammogram or an ultrasound. The case may require resorting to a biopsy of the enlarged breast.
Multislice CT or MRI may be requested to confirm the diagnosis or look for other accompanying conditions.
Sometimes, the patient must see an endocrinologist when his problem is systemic and he has many accompanying symptoms.
Degrees of gynecomastia in men
Does gynecomastia in men cause infertility?
As we noted previously, gynecomastia in men has several causes, and many of these causes may have an impact on men’s ability to conceive.
Infertility or impotence is often due to an imbalance of hormones in men (males).
Despite this, a study has proven that gynecomastia in men is a rare condition seen in patients with impotence.
Read also on our website: The best methods for treating infertility in men.
Gynecomastia treatment in men without surgery
Not all methods of treating gynecomastia in men are surgical (they may be without surgery or by various other methods). Treatment depends on the patient’s condition, as some cases do not require treatment. However, if gynecomastia is caused by medications, staying away from these medications will achieve good results, as well as treating the diseases that cause gynecomastia. He also achieved remarkable progress in treating gynecomastia in men.
Obesity reduction, exercise, and a healthy diet are safe methods that can sometimes improve the shape of the patient’s chest.
Gynecomastia in men often goes away naturally, and the breast size returns to normal after about 6 months to a year, and they do not need to have surgery to remove the breast tissue.
If gynecomastia is due to a hormonal change and the effect of estrogen on the breasts that led to gynecomastia in men, then giving tamoxifen can reduce breast enlargement (gynecomastia) and increase the size of the breasts in men.
If gynecomastia in men is caused by a metabolic problem or a specific disease, treating this condition helps reduce gynecomastia (reducing breast size in men).
Gynecomastia in men treatment with androgen injections
Injections of androgens (and testosterone in particular) can be useful in stopping breast enlargement and gynecomastia in men if the cause of the gynecomastia is an imbalance in male hormones.
But if gynecomastia reaches the stage of fibrocystic gynecomastia, treatment with male hormones is often not beneficial.
A recent study documented promising results in this field. Subcutaneous injection of androgens is better than intramuscular injection, which, as we mentioned previously, increases the percentage of female estrogens, making the problem worse.
Gynecomastia in men surgery
Doctors often do not resort to surgery unless there is a very abnormal shape of the breasts in men or breast enlargement (increased breast size) that cannot be corrected without surgery.
We advise against gynecomastia surgery unless absolutely necessary and to treat it naturally.
Finally, we find that gynecomastia in men is one of the problems that can be treated naturally; although most men have a mild degree of simple gynecomastia that does not affect their normal lives, attention must be paid to the accompanying problems and to the balance of hormones in the man’s body to live a happy reproductive, sexual, and healthy life.
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